Semi-automatic pistols include a mechanism which allows automatic reloading of the pistol upon firing a bullet. Typically, semi-automatic pistols use recoil energy, resulting from firing one bullet, to reload the next bullet into the pistol's chamber. Thus, pulling the trigger causes one bullet to be fired and the next bullet in the magazine to be loaded automatically, without having to manually load the next bullet.
One example of a semi-automatic pistol is a Glock® pistol. A Glock® pistol includes a slide which houses the firing mechanism and the barrel, through which the bullet is fired. During the recoil process, the slide slides backwards, along tracks in the top of the pistol's frame. When the slide is in its backwards position, a bullet from the magazine is urged into the barrel. The slide is then pulled forward by the recoil spring, thereby completing the loading process of the pistol, and at least partially cocking the firing mechanism.
However, after firing the last bullet in the magazine, the pistol is reloaded by inserting a full magazine into the receiver and by manually pulling the slide backwards, allowing the first bullet in the magazine to enter the barrel, following which, the slide is urged forward by the recoil spring. Similarly, unloading the pistol requires pulling the slide fully to the rear, so as to eject the bullet from the barrel.
Pulling the slide backwards against the force of the recoil spring requires a good grip of the slide and a large force applied to the slide, due to its straight, parallel sides. At present, a row of shallow cocking serrations is formed along the side of the slide. However, these serrations are not sufficient for easy gripping and pulling back of the slide.
Accordingly, there is a long felt need for a slide for a semi-automatic pistol which facilitates the process of reloading and unloading of the pistol, and it would be very desirable to have a slide which allows a stable grip and requires relatively little force to pull the slide backwards.